OREANDA-NEWS. July 10, 2015. Walmart today launched a new digital library, with videos from its inaugural Global Women’s Forum, to further support the advancement of future women leaders at Walmart and women worldwide. Part of Walmart’s President’s Global Council of Women Leaders’ Global Women’s Development Series, the Forum held on April 21 was a half day event broadcast in ten countries, while an additional eight countries held their own event that focused on educating Walmart associates about important issues affecting women in the workplace. Forum speakers included Academy Award winning actor Geena Davis, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi, and BBC World News anchor and author, Katty Kay.

The digital library of content contains footage from the Forum, which includes keynote speeches and panel discussions on three development topics: confidence, mentoring and work/life integration. The library provides rich content that may be shared and used by professionals all over the world for professional development and discussion. 

“Over half of our associates are women, and as the world’s largest retailer, we know that providing development opportunities for our female associates and making this information available to women around the world can have a ripple effect on the global workforce,” said Michelle Gloeckler, executive vice president of Consumables and Health and Wellness, U.S. Manufacturing lead and chair of the President’s Global Council of Women Leaders. “It is our hope that this inaugural Global Women’s Forum will serve as a catalyst in our work to develop the future female leaders of Walmart.”

“I could not be more thrilled to be a part of Walmart’s Global Women’s forum and to see a company like Walmart working to provide opportunities for its associates to thrive and share those opportunities globally,” said Geena Davis. “By working together across multiple industries, we can empower women worldwide with the resources and mentorship they need to build meaningful careers.”

The Global Women’s Forum and the library of content are part of a larger Global Women’s Development Series which seeks to champion opportunities for women to grow and thrive across the globe, provide accessibility and a platform to support women and showcase female talent across Walmart. In March, the Global Women’s Development Series hosted an International Women’s Day celebration at the Walmart home office.

"All around the world, women are breaking new barriers and making tremendous contributions to both business and society,” said Indra Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo. “The work Walmart is doing to invest in and empower women is critically important, and PepsiCo is proud to contribute to the continuing discussion on this topic. We are deeply committed to fostering diversity and inclusion across our workforce and we look forward to continuing our work with Walmart on this shared priority."

Walmart is also working in other ways to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace, advocate for workforce opportunities within the entire retail sector and champion women through its Women’s Economic Empowerment initiative. A critical part of this work is supporting the advancement of women at Walmart, particularly as women make up more than half (57%) of Walmart associates and Walmart has twice the rate of female corporate officers (32%) as the Fortune 500.

Through its Women Economic Empowerment Program, Walmart has made a commitment to source \\$20 billion from women owned businesses in the U.S, and double its sourcing from women owned businesses internationally.Additionally, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have committed to train 1 million women all over the world in retail, factories and farming.